A court ruling that could save Athens’ soul
A court ruling that could save Athens’ soul Giorgos Lialios ekathimerini.com 27.02.2025 Athens, a city that has seen empires rise and fall, has just secured a small but significant victory in the battle for its architectural soul. The Council of State ruled that a building’s designation as a landmark should not hinge on its current condition. If its historical significance can be documented and restoration is feasible, it can – and should – be preserved. This decision spared a building in Koliatsou Square from demolition, a structure whose fate had been fiercely contested. Preservation groups Monumenta and the Hellenic Society for the Environment and Culture had long championed its cause, while its owner sought to raze it. After a bureaucratic tug-of-war, the nation’s highest administrative court intervened, invalidating a ruling that had allowed demolition. The decision has broad implications. Until now, many building owners had quietly stripped away architectural details,...